Last night I was too tied up to write an update and forgot to tell Linda there be none to post. Sometimes I show my age. Linda was understanding, 
but I hope she doesn't think that I'm losing it. (edit sidenote from Linda...Everybody forgets things at times!)
Everything is fine with the bears and me. People thought the worst--that maybe something happened to Lily, who we believe is safe. We remember back in 2013 when the DNR was targeting our top study bears, which we anticipated they would. So did the BBC. With a legal hearing coming up and knowing the DNR had a weak case, we feared they would try to circumvent the court by simply killing our top bears to end the study. 
Hunters surrounded WRI. At hunters' request, the DNR removed a gate to give the hunters easy access to our property lines. That was the year when 30% of our radio-collared bears were shot rather than the long-time average of 5%. We lost June and we lost our longest radio-tracked bear, 13-year-old Dot. Aster was badly wounded. The BBC documentary focused on Lily, including statements of eager hunters on the Facebook page "Lily, a Bear with a Bounty," which became the name of the documentary in England. But Lily was safe, and that's how the documentary ended. Lily had found a fairly safe spot to be, and she has followed that pattern ever since. I dream of a Den Cam with her again when the DNR finally decides to let us. To be successful, we need to radio-track her to a den, but the DNR might feel awkward giving us a permit for that after they spent over $500,000 and several years convincing the public and the governor that we shouldn't have one. There is nothing fair about it, but the DNR has the power to do what they want with very little accountability. 
They have their own agenda. Hunters are their "primary clients," so the Commissioner didn't want to inconvenience them by asking them to look twice for a collar. Also, the Commissioner didn't want Den Cam viewers getting emotionally attached to a bear and then possibly speaking out against hunting if it was killed. Then there is the problem that the Den Cams conflict with the DNR's campaign to recruit young hunters. Students who watch mother bears tenderly caring for their cubs could grow up liking bears and not wanting to buy a bear-hunting license. Above all, the Commissioner got angry over the letters asking for protection of radio-collared bears. 
He had the power to stand with science, education, and the people who an opinion poll on WCCO-TV showed favored protection by a margin of 847 (93%) to 60 (7%), or he could call me a bully and rescind my permit with no worries about being called arrogant or an abuser of power.
The nice thing is that as much as Lily stands for the very thing the DNR spent so much time and money to end, she is a survivor.
At the Bear Center, Sharon Herrell is happy to be back from the Bear Care Conference and having fun with playful Tasha. She and Lori Lindsay raked up two big cans of leaves for Holly the Homemaker to rake into the big bunker den where she apparently has decided to spend the winter with Lucky again. On this day, Lucky was eating grass on the mound while Holly was raking the bedding for the two of them. Sharon put straw near the Window Den and the Rock Den to see what happens. Tasha was digging. The videos tell more.
Tasha digging https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9FHugu3oCo
Holly raking leaves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa4_E3Zn7ko
Out the window at the WRI, migrating sparrows covered the ground--Dark-eyed Juncos, white-throated sparrows (the tan-striped morph, not the extra pretty white-striped ones), and a Harris's Sparrow that we practically never see. One of the pine martens seemed to be hunting them in the bushes, while on the other side of the cabin two gray foxes hunted for mice in the grass where few birds were foraging. No hawks present.
A very long-legged spider was dangling from a strand of web outside the window. I snapped a picture and sent it to Sparky Stensaas for identification. While I was learning about bears, he was learning about everything else. He said it is a Long-jawed Orbweaver.
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| White-throated sparrow tan stripe | Harris's sparrow | Dark-eyed junco |
Last evening, Kimani and her two cubs showed up after dark. Kimani lay down and let her cubs eat for a good part of the night. Three adolescent males came together like the Three Amigos did back in 2008.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center